Because of this, [since we] have this ministry, just as we have been shown mercy, we do not lose heart,

but we have renounced shameful hidden things, not behaving with craftiness or adulterating the word of God, but with the open proclamation of the truth commending ourselves to every person's conscience before God.

among whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, so that they would not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

For we do not proclaim ourselves, but Christ Jesus [as] Lord, and ourselves [as] your slaves for the sake of Jesus.

But we have this treasure in earthenware jars, in order that the extraordinary degree of the power may be from God and not from us.

We are afflicted in every [way], but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing;

persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed;

Therefore we do not lose heart, but even if our outer person is being destroyed, yet our inner [person] is being renewed day after day.

[because] we are not looking at what is seen, but what is not seen. For what is seen [is] temporary, but what is not seen [is] eternal.

For we know that if our earthly house, the tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made by hands, eternal in the heavens.

if indeed, even [after we] have taken [it] off, we will not be found naked.

For indeed we who are in this tent groan, being burdened {for this reason, that} we do not want to be unclothed, but to be clothed, in order that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.

for we live by faith, not by sight--

We are not commending ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to boast about us, in order that you may have [an answer] for those who boast in appearance and not in heart.

namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

He made the one who did not know sin [to be] sin on our behalf, in order that we could become the righteousness of God in him.

Now [because we] are fellow workers, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain.

[We are] giving no one an occasion for taking offense in anything, in order that our ministry will not have fault found [with it],

as unknown and [yet] known completely, as dying, and behold, we go on living, as disciplined, and [yet] not put to death,

You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your affections.

Do not become unevenly yoked with unbelievers, for what participation [is there between] righteousness and lawlessness? Or what fellowship [does] light [have] with darkness?

Therefore "come out from their midst and be separate," says the Lord, "and do not touch what is unclean, and I will welcome you,

I do not say [this] {to condemn you}, because I have already said that you are in our hearts, so that we die together and we live together.

and not only by his coming, but also by the comfort [with] which he was comforted among you, [because he] reported to us your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced even more.

For if indeed I grieved you by my letter, I do not regret [it]. Even if I did regret [it] (I see that that letter grieved you, even though for {a short time}),

now I rejoice, not that you were grieved, but that you were grieved to repentance. For you were grieved according to [the will of] God, so that you suffered loss in no way through us.

For grief according to [the will of] God brings about a repentance [leading] to salvation, not to be regretted, but worldly grief brings about death.

Consequently, even if I wrote to you, it was not because of the one who did wrong or because of the one who had been wronged, but in order that your diligence {on our behalf} might be revealed to you before God.

For if I have boasted anything to him about you, I have not been put to shame, but as I have spoken everything to you in truth, thus also our boasting to Titus {has proven to be true}.

and not just as we had hoped, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and [then] to us, by the will of God.

I am not saying [this] as a command, but proving the genuineness of your love by means of the diligence of others.

And I am giving an opinion in this [matter], because this is profitable for you who not only began previously, a year ago, to do [something], but also to want [to do it].

For if the eagerness is present {according to what one has}, [it is] acceptable not {according to what one does not have}.

For [this is] not that for others [there may be] relief, [and] for you difficult circumstances, but [as a matter] of equality.

At the present time your abundance [will be] for their need, in order that their abundance may also be for your need, so that there may be equality,

just as it is written, "The [one] who [gathered] much did not have too much, and the [one] who [gathered] little did not have too little."

because he not only welcomed our request, but being very earnest, by his own choice he went out to you.

And not only [this], but he was also chosen by the churches [as] our traveling companion together with this gift that is being administered by us to the glory of the Lord himself and [to show] our readiness [to help].

For we are taking into consideration what is honorable not only before the Lord, but also before people.

But I am sending the brothers in order that our boasting about you would not prove to be empty in this case, so that you may be prepared just as I was saying,

lest somehow if Macedonians should come with me and find you unprepared, we--{not to speak of you}--would be humiliated in connection with this project.

Therefore I considered [it] necessary to urge the brothers that they should go on ahead to you and make arrangements in advance for your generous gift that was promised previously, so this would be prepared as a generous gift and not as grudgingly granted.

Each one [should give] as he has decided in his heart, not {reluctantly} or from compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

because the service of this ministry is not only supplying the needs of the saints, but also is overflowing through many [expressions of] thanksgiving to God.

now I ask [when I] am present [that I will] not [need] to be bold with the confidence [with] which I propose to show boldness toward some who consider us as behaving according to the flesh.

For [although we] are living in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh,

for the weapons of our warfare [are] not merely human, but powerful to God for the tearing down of fortresses, tearing down arguments

For even if I boast somewhat more about our authority that the Lord gave [us] {for building you up and not for tearing you down}, I will not be put to shame,

so that I do not want to appear as if I were terrifying you by my letters,

For we do not dare to classify or to compare ourselves with some who commend themselves, but [they] themselves, [when they] measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, do not understand.

But we will not boast {beyond limits}, but according to the measure of the assignment that God has assigned to us as a measure to reach even as far as you.

For we are not overextending ourselves, as [if we] had not reached you, because we have reached even as far as you with the gospel of Christ,

not boasting {beyond limits} in the labors of others, but having hope [that as] your faith is growing to be enlarged greatly by you according to our assignment,

so that we may proclaim the gospel in the regions that lie beyond you, [and] not boast in the things accomplished in the [area] assigned to someone else.

For it is not the one commending himself who is approved, but [the one] whom the Lord commends.

For if the one who comes proclaims another Jesus whom we have not proclaimed, or you receive a different spirit which you did not receive, or a different gospel which you did not accept, you put up with [it] well [enough]!

But even if [I am] unskilled in speech, yet [I am] not in knowledge; certainly in everything [we] have made this clear to you in every [way].

And [when I] was present with you and was in need, I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my need, and in everything I kept myself from being a burden to you, and will keep [myself from being a burden].

[As the] truth of Christ is in me, this boasting {of mine} will not be stopped in the regions of Achaia.

{Why}? Because I do not love you? God knows [I do]!

Therefore [it is] not a great thing if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.

Again I say, do not let anyone think I am foolish. But indeed, if [you do], accept me even as foolish, in order that I also may boast a little.

What I am saying in this project of boasting, I am not saying as the Lord [would say], but as in foolishness.

Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I received a stoning. Three times I was shipwrecked. A day and a night I have spent in the deep water.

Who is weak, and [I am] not weak? Who is caused to sin, and I do not burn [with indignation]?

The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is blessed {forever}, knows that I am not lying.

It is necessary to boast; [it is] not profitable, but I will proceed to visions and revelations of the Lord.

I know a man in Christ fourteen years ago--whether in the body I do not know, or outside the body I do not know, God knows--such a man was caught up to the third heaven,

and I know this man--whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows--

that he was caught up to paradise and heard words not to be spoken, which [it is] not permitted for a person to speak.

On behalf of such a person I will boast, but on behalf of myself I will not boast, except in my weaknesses.

For if I want to boast, I will not be foolish, because I will be telling the truth, but I am refraining, so that no one can credit to me more than what he sees [in] me or hears anything from me,

even because of the extraordinary degree of the revelations. Therefore, so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan, in order that it would torment me so that I would not exalt myself.

{For in what respect are you made worse off} more than the rest of the churches, except that I myself was not a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong!

Behold, this third [time] I am ready to come to you, and I will not be a burden [to you]. For I am not seeking your possessions, but you. For children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but parents for their children.

But let [it] be. I have not been a burden to you, but [because I] was crafty, I took you by cunning.

I have not taken advantage of you {through anyone whom I sent to you}, [have I]?

I urged Titus [to go], and I sent the brother [with him]. Titus did not take advantage of you, [did he]? Did we not conduct ourselves in the same spirit? Did we not walk in the same footsteps?

For I am afraid lest somehow [when I] arrive, I will not find you as I want, and I may be found by you as you do not want. [I am afraid] lest somehow [there will be] strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, pride, disorder.

[I am afraid] lest [when I] come again my God will humiliate me {in your presence}, and I will grieve over many of those who sinned previously and have not repented because of their impurity and sexual immorality and licentiousness that they have practiced.

I have already said when was present the second time, and [although I] am absent now also say in advance to those who sinned previously and to all the rest, that if I come again I will not spare [anyone],

since you are demanding proof that Christ, who [is] not weak toward you, but is powerful among you, is speaking in me.

Test yourselves [to see] if you are in the faith. Examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize regarding yourselves that Jesus Christ [is] in you, unless you are unqualified?

And I hope that you will recognize that we are not unqualified!

Now we pray to God that you not do wrong in any way, not that we are seen as approved, but that you do what is good, even [though] we are [seen] as though unqualified.

For we are not able [to do] anything against the truth, but rather [only] for the truth.

Because of this, I am writing these [things] [although I] am absent, in order that [when I] am present I may not have to act severely according to the authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down.

Paul, an apostle not from men nor by men but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead,

not that [there] is a different [gospel], except there are some who are disturbing you and wanting to distort the gospel of Christ.

For am I now making an appeal to people or [to] God? Or am I seeking to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ.

For I make known to you, brothers, the gospel that has been proclaimed by me, that it is not {of human origin}.

to reveal his Son in me in order that I would proclaim the gospel [about] him among the Gentiles, immediately I did not consult with flesh and blood,

but I did not see [any] others of the apostles except James, the brother of the Lord.

(Now [the things] which I am writing to you, behold, [I assure you] before God that I am not lying.)

But not even Titus [who was] with me, [although] he was a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised.

to whom not even for an hour did we yield in subjection, in order that the truth of the gospel might remain continually with you.

But from those {who were influential} (whatever they were, [it makes] no difference to me, {God does not show partiality})--for those who were influential added nothing to me.

But when I saw that they were not being straightforward with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of [them] all, "If you, [although you] are a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you try to compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?"

We [are] Jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles,

but knowing that a person is not justified by the works of the law, if not by faith in Jesus Christ, and we have believed in Christ Jesus so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law {no human being will be justified}.